Lizzy's first weeks at Hunsford parsonage were an enlightening and pleasant experience; it was clear that marriage suited Mary very well. The always-overlooked sister had blossomed into a confident and practical woman with a purpose in her life. She had taken to her role as a parson's wife with care and diligence; she usually spent several hours visiting the poorest tenants and helping in the management of the parish.
Mr. Collins was a very attentive and affectionate husband, he was still a little ridiculous, but was, in essence, a good man. In his eyes, Mary was the epitome of perfection, and he was the luckiest of men.
The house was much smaller than Longbourn's manor but well-appointed and comfortable for the young couple's needs. In the garden, there was a small farm where different vegetables and flowers were grown.
Twice a week Mary was invited to Rosings Park to have tea with Lady Catherine and her only daughter, Anne de Bourgh. Lady Catherine was a tall and sturdy fifty-year-old woman, with rude manners and old-fashioned ideas about the world. She was used to commanding people and being obeyed without consideration of others' opinions. On the other hand, her daughter was a sickly and shy girl.
Anne had pneumonia when she was a little child, unfortunately, and she never fully recovered. Her overprotective mother had, since then, limited her daughter's activities for fear of injuring her health. She wasn't allowed to have a season in town, since her mother told her that she didn't need to have a season because she was engaged to her cousin Darcy and the season was only for gentlewomen who were looking for a husband. The few times she was invited to attend a party given by some neighboring family, her mother didn't let her go.
Anne knew she wasn't an attractive woman; she was too thin, too pale, her hair and eyes were a dull brown color, and she wouldn't survive pregnancy and childbirth. In addition, she was sick and probably she wouldn't live long. She knew a handsome and rich man like her cousin Darcy would never marry a woman like her.
At twenty-five years old, her life had been sheltered and lonely. There were few gentlewomen of her age in the area, and most of them weren't interested in meeting her.
At first, Mary's relationship with Anne was distant, but with time they became good friends. As an only child with little family, Anne had longed her entire life to have a female friend, and Mary was eager to fill that void in Anne's heart.
On the third day of Lizzy's visit, the parsonage party was invited to have dinner at Rosings Park. For Lizzy, the dinner was a tedious affair. Lady Catherine asked her all kinds of impertinent questions and gave her unwanted advice, ranging from how to order her gowns to what she should eat for breakfast to improve her health.
Thankfully, the following time the siblings went to Rosings Park, Lady Catherine was in her weekly meeting with her steward; so, Mary and Lizzy could spend a very nice afternoon with Anne. From that day forward, the three young ladies agreed, that every time Lady Catherine had a meeting, Anne would discreetly send Mary and Lizzy an invitation to have tea.